Replacing Lonestar Bow Eye Advice

[Pierce89]

While winching my boat the boweye broke yesterday. Before I start jerry-rigging an ugly replacement, anybody have any suggestions that don't involve a welder? I'll drill out the 6 rivets and use SS 1/4-20 bolts on reassembly with 3M 5200. I'd want to avoid drilling a new hole through the center for one of those bolt style ones with a backing plate but not sure if I have much of a choice.

 

[Scott Danforth]

While winching my boat the boweye broke yesterday. Before I start jerry-rigging an ugly replacement, anybody have any suggestions that don't involve a welder? I'll drill out the 6 rivets and use SS 1/4-20 bolts on reassembly with 3M 5200. I'd want to avoid drilling a new hole through the center for one of those bolt style ones with a backing plate but not sure if I have much of a choice.

I would weld on the part that broke off, then touch up the paint.

or get new aluminum rivets and a new to you stock loop assembly and buck the rivets.

 

[Pierce89]

I don't know what type of metal that original eye bolt is but the metal looks crumbly at the break. Glad this happened now and not if I ever needed a tow. After researching other threads I think I'll need to remove the 6 rivets for the bracket, seal them, then install a 3/8" SS U-bolt vertically on the seam unfortunately. Atleast Ill be able to put a nice backing aluminum or wood on the inside and not worry about again.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would make the backing out of a combination of starboard to fill the V and use the backing plate supplied with most U-bolts.

instead of removing the 6 rivets, I would just cut off the nubs and file the edge .

original material was aluminum by the looks of it.

 

[JimS123]

Happened to me as well. Cut off the nubs and file smooth. Buy a SS 2-bolt bow eye and drill 2 holes thru the stem and install. Seal with 5200.

Aluminum drills easy. A std. drill worked in my case. If not. buy a 8 or 12" long reach drill bit. A 15 minute job.

 

[Pierce89]

Thanks all, thats why I'm going to do. Very familiar with drilling through this boat at this point, it was a total restoration. Can't believe the bow eye snapped when returning from the maiden voyage.

 

[crazy charlie]

On that type of aluminum boat,some of the cleats and hardware were made from soft metals and designed to corrode as a sacrificial anode.Thats probably why the metal eye looks crumbly.Be careful of doing a stainless replacement as the dissimilar metal will affect the aluminum as it is the far less noble metal than stainless.If using stainless try to isolate the 2 metals with a thick rubber gasket and nylon washers.The backing should be other than metal.Charlie